Xavi wants Frenkie de Jong to stay at Barcelona for "many more years" amid Manchester United transfer rumours.
Erik ten Hag, United's new manager, is rumored to be interested in bringing De Jong to Old Trafford this summer. On Thursday, the 52-year-old was named the Red Devils' new permanent manager, and he will begin his three-year tenure in Manchester next month.Before joining Barcelona in July 2019, Ten Hag worked with the 24-year-old at Ajax. In 2018-19, the Dutchman was a key member of the team that won the Eredivisie and the Dutch Cup. That season, Ajax also advanced to the Champions League semi-finals.
Erik ten Hag has warned of major concerns in Man United's offense as a result of an unspecified change in transfer strategy.
Xavi is hoping De Jong will stay at his current club beyond the summer, despite the rumors. "I haven't spoken to him about his future," Barcelona manager Xavi admitted ahead of Sunday's La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano.
"He's playing at a high level and has a lot of potential." Despite the fact that Ten Hag is unlikely to sign De Jong, it is evident that he has to sign at least one midfielder this summer. Despite being given a £500,000-a-week contract to stay, Paul Pogba's contract expires at the end of the season, and he is set to quit the club.
"As it appears right now, he will not renew his contract, and I'm not sure," United interim manager Ralf Rangnick admitted on Friday. "I'm not sure if the club or Erik will wish to renew his contract. It's very likely that he won't be back next season."
There are also serious reservations about Fred's defensive skills, Nemanja Matic's aging legs, and Scott McTominay's ability to succeed at the top level. United require a box-to-box midfielder.De Jong, according to Ten Hag, is capable of filling that job. In 2019, the coach stated, "He leaves the middle of the pitch far too often for that." "You won't get the best out of his game if you don't give him the freedom to move forward."
Ten Hag is also said to regard De Jong as a natural leader capable of leading his United revolution. That might be terrible news for Harry Maguire, who is in danger of losing his captaincy after a disappointing Premier League season.And De Jong is no stranger to working with Donny van de Beek. The 25-year-old is presently on loan at Everton, where he will be aiming for a comeback under his former Ajax coach Ten Hag. Since joining United in September 2020, Van de Beek has only made four league starts.
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